Coke vs PepsiPepsi and Coke’s Uncivil Wars Essay Example for Free

Coke vs PepsiPepsi and Coke’s Uncivil Wars Essay Chapter 9 in Competition Demystified: Uncivil Cola Wars: Coke and Pepsi Confront the Prisoner’s Dilemma What are the sources of competitive advantages in the soda industry? First we should look at industry structure. The cola companies buy raw materials of sugar, sweeteners and flavorings from many suppliers then they turn the commodities into a branded product which consists of syrup/concentrated combined with water and bottles. The companies are joined at the hip with their bottlers/distributors who then sell to many retail outlets. Selling bulky and heavy beverages lends itself to regional economies of scale advantages. The soda companies cannot operate successfully unless their bottlers and distributors are profitable and content whether company-owned or franchised. The existence of barriers to entry indicates that the incumbents enjoy competitive advantages that potential entrants cannot match. In the soft drink world, the sources of these advantages are easy to identify. First, on the demand side, there is the kind of customer loyalty that network executives, beer brewers and car manufacturers only dream about. People who drink sodas drink them frequently (habit formation), and they relish a constancy of experience that keeps them ordering the same brand, no matter the circumstances. Both Coke and Pepsi exhibit the presence of barriers to entry and competitive advantage—stable *ROE can be influenced by whether bottlers’ assets are off or on the balance sheet Second, there are large economies of scale in the soda business both at the concentrate maker and bottler levels. Developing new products and advertising existing ones are fixed costs, unrelated to the number of cases sold. Equally important, the distribution of soda to the consumer benefits from regional scale economies. The more customers there are in a given region, the more economical the distribution. A bottler of Coke, selling the product to 40% to 50% of the soda drinkers in the market area, is going to have lower costs than someone peddling Dr. Pepper to 5% to 56% of the drinkers. During the â€Å"statesmen† era of Pepsi and Coke, what actions did each of the companies take? Why did they help raise profitability? Note the stability of market share and ROE. ROE dipped in 1980 and 1982 as Pepsi and Coke waged a price war. Yet, market shares did not change as a result of the price war—both companies were worse off. Pepsi gained market share in the late 1970s versus Coke. Coke was slow and clumsy to respond. Price wars between two elephants in an industry with barriers to entry tend to flatten a lot of grass and make customers happy. They hardly ever result in a dead elephant. Still, there are better and worse ways of initiating a price contest. Coke chose the worst. Coke chose to lower concentrate prices on those regions where its share of the cola market was high (80%) and Pepsi’s low (20 percent). This tactic ensured that for every dollar of revenue Pepsi gave up, Coke would surrender four dollars. Coke luckily developed New Coke which allowed it to attack Pepsi in its dominant markets in a precise way—minimizing damage to Coke’s profits–and force a truce in the price wars. They made visible moves to signal the other side that they intended to cooperate. Coca-Cola initiated the new era with a major corporate reorganization. After buying up many of the bottlers and reorganizing the bottler network, it spun off 51% of the company owned bottlers to shareholders in a new entity, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and it loaded up on debt for this corporation. With so much debt to service, Coca-Cola Enterprises had to concentrate on the tangible requirements of cash flow rather than the chimera of gaining great hunks of market share from Pepsi. PepsiCo responded by dropping the Pepsi Challenge, toning down its aggressive advertising and thus signaling that it accepted the truce. Profit margins improved. Operating profit margins went from 10% to 20% for Coca-Cola. Pepsi gain was less dramatic but also substantial. Both companies focused on ROE rather than market share and sales growth. The urge to grow, to hammer competitors and drive them out of business, or at least reduce their market share by a meaningful amount, had been a continual source of poor performance for companies that do have competitive advantages and a franchise, but are not content with it.

Strengths To The Tourism Industry In Greece Tourism Essay

Strengths To The Tourism Industry In Greece Tourism Essay Secondly, Greece has a family-friendly environment, making it ideal for tourists of all nationalities and creeds. One of the factors that contribute to this is its hot, dry Mediterranean climate, with an average of 290 days of sunshine a year. The capital city, Athens, has an average of only seven days of rain during summer and daytime temperatures in the low thirties  [4]  . These ideal climate conditions make it more accessible for tourists to experience the plethora of outdoor activities that are available, from swimming at Greeces picturesque beaches and yachting, to more rigorous activities such as mountain climbing and long-distance trekking to see some of the countrys most ancient landmarks and artefacts in the most inconspicuous locations. Finally, Greece has a sense of individuality and uniqueness to it. In comparison with other European countries that may claim to have a long history, Greece has one of the oldest civilisations and cultures outside of the Middle East. Infact, many historians perceive Greece as the cradle of Western civilisation, as well as the origin of democracy, the Olympic games, Western literature, political science, Western philosophy, and major scientific and mathematical principles  [5]  . This is validated by the fact that 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites  [6]  can be found around the country. Therefore, many foreigners see the countrys rich culture and history as a major attraction that intrigues them and inspires them to visit Greece. However, amidst the current strengths in tourism industry are some weaknesses and barriers to the tourism industry development. One of the strengths mentioned earlier has also proven to be a weakness: climate, or more precisely, seasonality problems. Mediterranean climates are characterised by hot and dry summers, and also have mild and wet winters. The peak season for travel to Greece is May-September, which is further supported by the fact that an overwhelming 75% of all tourists who travel to Greece travel during this period  [7]  . That means only a paltry 25% of the tourists travel between October-April. Although the cooler months in Greece dont have sub-zero temperatures like its other Eastern European neighbours, the large amount of rain the country receives during this period serves as a deterrent for people who enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing. Therefore, the revenue levels of a lot of local businesses that rely heavily on tourism decrease substantially during th is period of time. Another major weakness is the lack of public transport infrastructure and accessibility. While countries such as Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom and Germany have reputable public transport systems; it is a hassle to travel to some of the most majestic and beautiful parts of Greece. This is because the country as very spread out and the population density, when compared to its European counterparts, are very low, ranked 115th in the world with 85.7 people per square kilometre  [8]  . A lot of people may see the public transport infrastructure as a negative, because they want to travel between locations with minimal complications. Other major weaknesses and barriers include marketing and management. Although countries like France and Germany have managed to modernise themselves despite their long histories and have made themselves more cosmopolitan and attractive to younger people, Greece has, to a large extent, chosen to remain stuck in the past and relied heavily on its 3500+ year history to promote its tourism industry. This is an obstacle when it comes to targeting potential tourists who may not have the same level of appreciation for things related to historical matters. In other words, Greece tourism promotion and marketing hasnt evolved with the times, leaving potential tourists with a fixed stereotype of the country and hence little opportunity for surprise. The weaknesses and barriers to the tourism industry development lead to an issue that may benefit the Greek tourism industry as a whole: what are the opportunities to enhance the tourisms economic contribution? Well, as one of the weaknesses mentioned earlier, there is an opportunity to improve the public transportation. An improvement in this area could lead to a vast increase in tourism for the Greek Islands off the mainland of Greece, and overall, an increase in tourism for Greece. Places such as Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes and Kassos could all experience a large inflation in tourist numbers, hence leading to increased revenues and profits for the local businesses in those respective areas. Continued improvement in infrastructure and technology will also go a long way towards enhancing the tourisms economic contribution. Giving the country a modern appeal will help to counteract the weakness mentioned earlier about Greeces outdated marketing techniques in the area of tourism promotion. Finally, a decrease in accommodation prices may lead to an influx of tourists. As we know, not everyone can afford to stay in four or five-star accommodation. In 2009, Athens was named the city with the 10th most expensive hotel prices in the world, with the average hotel in Athens costing AUD $321 a night  [9]  . This price is deemed to be very expensive for people in the middle and lower-class income brackets and may deter them from visiting Greece in the first place. Affordable accommodation may be able to break the mindset that Greece is an expensive place to travel. There are various threats that need to be overcome, in order to enhance Greeces reputation as a safe and hospitable tourist destination. The first issue is riots. Major riots occurring in December 2008  [10]  and more recently, May 2010  [11]  , have tarnished Greeces reputation as a safe destination. This has had adverse effect on the tourism industry, with pre-bookings being down 8% for the peak-season in comparison to last year. With tourism being absolutely pivotal to Greeces economy, equating to 17% of its Gross Domestic Product, any sharp decline in this amount could be detrimental to the Greek economy on a whole. Also related to the issue of safety are two terrorist attacks that occurred last year  [12]  13. Environmental pollution is another threat to the tourism industry that needs to be confronted. This problem emanates back to the 1970s  [14]  , when rapid industrialisation began to take place in Greece. This industrialisation culminated in serious air pollution in Athens during the 1980s. Smog (carbon monoxide) and exhaust fumes from cars became prevalent in Athens and even resulted in 87 industries and 73 factories being order to cease production  [15]  , due to the governments concerns over the effects the pollution was having on peoples respiratory systems. The widespread ramifications of this problem dont stop there. Various species of mammals, reptiles, birds and freshwater fish are on the brink of extinction because of failure to minimise the pollution5  [16]  . The issue of political intervention appears as a threat to the tourist industry. The recent riots in May 2010 were the result of protests against the governments austerity decisions to combat the countrys large sovereign debt levels  [17]  18. Countries with political instability and countries that impose austere decisions, which are likely to lead to civil unrest, make the country less attractive to foreigners and hence will find it very difficult to attract potential tourists. So far, we have discussed the current strengths, weakness and barriers of the Greek tourism industry, as well as potential benefits and threats that could either enhance or decimate the industry. Combining the main points discussed in this research, we can extrapolate implications for specific strategies of industry, government and the community to enhance the economic impacts of tourism in Greece. In our opinion, we believe there are three main implications. Firstly, there should be a strategy to consolidate on the profitable and competitive Greek tourism industry, both in the short-term and more importantly, long-term future. Possible techniques to achieve this objective include improving the marketing and promotion, aim to increase levels of tourism and try to promote different types of tourism to appeal to a wider variety of people. Improvements in these areas should lead to a considerable increase in revenues and profits for businesses in Greece that rely on tourism and will allow Greece to maintain strong percentages of tourism in its GDP (as mentioned earlier, 17% of GDP in the Greek economy is derived from the tourism industry). Secondly, there should be an increasing need to cultivate and maintain Greek tourist destinations and attractions, which thereby will lead to economic prosperity in the future. This strategy is concerned with improving the environment, public transportation infrastructure, general infrastructure and decreasing pollution. By improving the standard of public facilities, making transport more accessible for tourists and improving legislation to decrease pollution, not only will it appeal to more potential tourists, but furthermore, Greece will develop a reputation as a nation that cares for the general wellbeing of people and will take the respective measures to make a tourists experience as enjoyable and pleasant as possible. Finally, there should be a strategy for improving the general satisfaction of tourists. This may be achieved through improving general services and also promoting different types of tourism for the people of varying economic backgrounds. For example, the Greek tourism industry should promote certain holiday packages for the higher-income earners who may want to experience a bit more extravagance and luxury, packages for families with small children, packages for those who are on a budget and so on. Certain types of lifestyles (attributed to the amount of money the tourist is willing to spend) should be targeted to achieve this objective.

Role of Cytokines in Schizophrenia

Role of Cytokines in Schizophrenia Introduction: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder. Over 1% of the world population is affected by this mental disorder (Bakhshi Chance, 2015). A cytokine hypothesis has been proposed, which elucidates the role of cytokines in this disease. Cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-ÃŽÂ ±, sIL-2R, and IL-1RA were found to be over-expressed by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Potvin et al., 2008; Goldsmith et al., 2016), in which interleukin-6 is considered to be the key player in schizophrenia. IL-6 has glycoprotein gp130 as a common membrane receptor and as a signal transducer, which can have both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects (Scheller et al., 2011). The anti-inflammatory effects of interleukins present in the blood serum of patients with schizophrenia must be understood. Upcoming therapeutic research focuses on astrocytes due to their expression of class II MHC antigens and the production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The hypothesized outcome is that IL-6 also induces anti- inflammatory effects which help the astrocytes to maintain the homeostasis. This will enable the researchers to explore further the pathophysiology of schizophrenia based on the cytokine hypothesis. The effects of IL-6 on astrocytes will open the door to a new area of research and will help in exploring the effects. The impact of the research on Healthcare: According to the data and statistics from the community studies of the European Union (EU), 27% of the adult population experienced at least one mental disorder in the past year (World Health, 1992). In Ireland, both private healthcare sector and public healthcare sector exists to assist the people of Republic of Ireland during an illness (Book, 2007). The Irish legislations Health Act 2004 governs the public health care system which is responsible for the people living in Ireland (Pearson et al., 2012). In the year 2010, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,862 Euros was spent on the health of a single individual residing in Ireland of which 79% was provided by the Irish government (Pearson et al., 2012). Looking the statistics, it is summarized that nearly seven people out of 100 spend the money for treating schizophrenia that would be approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20,900 Euros. Biomarkers are biological markers such as viral proteins, cytokine, hormones, etc. which can be used as a measurable indicato r of the biological state or condition (OConnell et al., 2014).   The main challenges in the biomarkers identification of schizophrenia are the unknown pathophysiology. However, biomarkers such as cytokines are considered due to the development of new hypotheses such as the cytokine hypothesis (Mansur et al., 2012). Understanding the roles of IL-6 in schizophrenia, can be used as a biomarker for the initial clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia patients, and to help create individualized treatment plans. The timescale for a product launch: If the research is proven successful, IL-6 based biomarker assays and treatments will be developed as a product from pharmaceutical companies. The developed products such as biomarker assays for IL-6 over or under expression detection and anti-IL-6 drugs will undergo the process of ethical approval and clinical trials which include four major stages. They are pre-clinical trials, clinical trials (Phase I, II and III), ethical approval and marketing (Phase IV) which would take a period of 20 to 30 years (DiMasi et al., 2003). There are anti-IL-6 drugs already in the market for the treatment of diseases which are related to Auto-immunity and other immune-based diseases which can cross the blood-brain barrier. These drugs may take a period of 8 -15 years to is the anticipated timescale for the proposed benefits to come into the market for the utilization of the schizophrenia patients. The importance of the product: The anti-inflammatory effects of IL-6 occur due to classical signaling pathway in which IL-6 binds to the membrane-bound cell surface receptor (IL-6R). Trans-signaling pathway provides the pro-inflammatory implications of the IL-6 (Scheller et al., 2011). Blocking the Trans-signaling pathway of the IL-6 is the target for the anti-IL-6 drugs. This might hold the capabilities for the treatment of Schizophrenia. The biomarker assays for IL-6 detection may help a person to identify whether the person is susceptive to schizophrenia shortly. This can help the doctor to give personalized treatment for the person based on the medical technologies available. The importance of the IL-6 product can be understood from the article Young people have the highest rate of psychiatric admissions which was published in Irish Times on 21 July 2016. The article discussed the young people (20 to 24) who are getting admitted to psychiatric hospitals for the 2015 (Edwards, 2016). The major diseases diagnosed for the admission are schizophrenia, depression, alcoholic disorders and mania which increases day by day (Edwards, 2016). Correlation with public, governmental and business sectors Public awareness campaigns and outreach to the doctors is the primary step in spreading the importance of the IL-6 as a biomarker for schizophrenia research. The second phase would be to use the primary media tools such as newspaper and radios so that the people does not expect from the research or get panic or distressed by the research. If the product is ethically permitted and the research becomes a success a contract between a pharmaceutical company or a medical diagnostic device company for establishing the result in the society. The completed biomarker assays for IL-6 detection product would be straightforward and easy to use similar to us such as a blood sugar and cholesterol test which can be utilized by the public without the doctors supervision. Biomarker assay kinds of products are advertised in the media such as television, newspaper, the internet, etc. for the maximum dissemination of the product. In the case of anti-IL-6 drugs, a patent is claimed by the pharma company which owns the contract, and a certain amount of percentage is given as royalty to the researcher. The patent is registered in a common government body, and the prize is sometimes fixed by the government of the country which accepts the drug. Conclusion: Schizophrenia is perhaps the most daunting psychiatric disorder, characterized by its life-altering symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. There is currently no precise explanation of its pathophysiology. Schizophrenia is explained as the biochemical imbalance in the brain which may exist due to many factors. Upcoming therapeutic research focuses on astrocytes due to its expression of class II MHC antigens and the production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. By combining the Cytokine hypothesis and Neurodevelopmental hypothesis, it is possible to understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the role of astrocytes in maintaining the homeostasis and cytoarchitecture of the brain. The cytokine IL-6 has been regarded as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, but it also has many anti-inflammatory and regenerative activities. Understanding the roles of IL-6 in schizophrenia can be used for the initial clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia patients, and to help create individuali zed treatment plans. Products such as biomarker assays for IL-6 and anti-IL-6 drugs can be developed for the treatment of schizophrenia from the research. The anticipated timescale for these drugs or assays to come into the market can take a period of 8 -15 years. A decade is not a big issue for the young people who are getting admitted to psychiatric hospitals diagnosed a schizophrenic patient. This can help the doctor to give personalized treatment for the person based on the medical technologies available. References: Bakhshi, K. Chance, S.A. (2015) The neuropathology of schizophrenia: A selective review of past studies and emerging themes in brain structure and cytoarchitecture. Neuroscience, 303, 82-102. Book, I.S. (2007) Irish Statute Book. DiMasi, J.A., Hansen, R.W. Grabowski, H.G. (2003) The price of innovation: new estimates of drug development costs. Journal of health economics, 22, 151-185. Edwards, E. (2016) Young people have highest rate of psychiatric admissions. In Secondary Edwards, E. (ed) Secondary Young people have highest rate of psychiatric admissions, pp. Pages, http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/young-people-have-highest-rate-of-psychiatric-admissions-1.2729673 (February 24, 2017). Goldsmith, D.R., Rapaport, M.H. Miller, B.J. (2016) A meta-analysis of blood cytokine network alterations in psychiatric patients: comparisons between schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Mol Psychiatry, 21, 1696-1709. Mansur, R.B., Zugman, A., Asevedo, E.M., da Cunha, G.R., Bressan, R.A. Brietzke, E. (2012) Cytokines in schizophrenia: possible role of anti-inflammatory medications in clinical and preclinical stages. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 66, 247-260. OConnell, K.E., Thakore, J. Dev, K.K. (2014) Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are raised in female schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine. Schizophr Res, 156, 1-8. Pearson, M., Lafortune, G. Vincent, F. (2012) Health spending in Europe falls for the first time in decades. In Secondary Pearson, M., Lafortune, G. Vincent, F. (eds) Secondary Health spending in Europe falls for the first time in decades, pp. Pages, http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/healthspendingineuropefallsforthefirsttimeindecades.htm (February 24, 2017). Potvin, S., Stip, E., Sepehry, A.A., Gendron, A., Bah, R. Kouassi, E. (2008) Inflammatory cytokine alterations in schizophrenia: a systematic quantitative review. Biol Psychiatry, 63, 801-808. Scheller, J., Chalaris, A., Schmidt-Arras, D. Rose-John, S. (2011) The pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of the cytokine interleukin-6. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1813, 878-888. World Health, O. (1992) The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders : clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. World Health Organization, Geneva.

Faith and Reason within the Holocaust Essay -- Essays Papers

Faith and Reason within the Holocaust One of the greatest horrors of the 20th Century was the extermination of over 6 million Jews and 5 million others during the Holocaust. In the face of this atrocity many have wondered how such a tragedy transcended in a supposed "civilized" European society. What role did religious institutions play in the prevention or lack of prevention of the horrors inflicted by the Nazis? How did the German government create, within a reasoning public, acceptance and even support for the extermination of a people who previously were considered equals? The inhumanity of the Holocaust was procured with effective use of propaganda on the German people who were willing to support anyone who could return Germany to the thriving time prior to World War I. The Holocaust was able to sustain vitality during the war because of the Westà ­s ignorance and indifference of the horrendous reality that was the Holocaust. The murder of millions at extermination camps such as Auschwitz and Dachau was the end result of a series of events that did not develop through extraordinary circumstances, but rather from an educated German and Western societiesà ­ abandonment of their responsibility to the minority. Ordinarily, one would expect that any acts of injustice to a person would be found morally wrong by religious institutions. However, in Europe, Jews historically had a difficulty functioning within a Christian society. The vision that people could live together peacefully despite religious differences was a New World concept that had not found its way into Europe during the 1930à ­s. A great deal of Germanyà ­s population was Protestant; furthermore, they were Lutherans. As followers of Lutherà ­s principleà ­s... ... this widespread lack of compassion for the other Jews, the Nazis were able to fulfill one of their goals before their final fallà ³the extermination of over 75% of the German Jewish population. In the hours before his suicide, Hitler consoled himself with this while the rest of the world questioned how such an atrocity had manifested. Endnotes: 1. Rita Steinhardt Botwinick, A History of the Holocaust: From Ideology to Annihilation (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1996), 19. 2. Adolf Hitler. The Jewish Peril. Rpt. in Rogers, 396. 3. Rita Steinhardt Botwinick, 84. 4. Rita Steinhardt Botwinick, 76. 5. http://serendipity.nofadz.com/cda/niemoll.html> 6. Joseph Goebbels. The Jews Are to Blame. Rpt. in Rogers, 405. 7. Christopher R. Browning, Ordinary Men (New York: Harper Perennial, 1992), 179.

Birth Control :: Contraceptives, Birth Control Essays

Birth Control Birth control has been a topic affecting women’s and men’s health, religion, sexuality and peace of mind for many years. Let me start with the history of birth control. A variety of birth control methods have been used throughout history and across cultures. In ancient Egypt women used dried crocodile dung and honey as vaginal suppositories to prevent pregnancy. One of the earliest mentions of contraceptive vaginal suppositories appears in the Ebers Medical Papyrus, a medical guide written between 1550 and 1500 BC. The guide suggests that a fiber tampon moistened with an herbal mixture of acacia, dates, colocynth, and honey would prevent pregnancy. The fermentation of this mixture can result in the production of lactic acid, which today is recognized as a spermicidal (New Internationalist). Before the introduction of the modern birth control pill, women ate or drank various substances to prevent pregnancy or induce miscarriage. However, such folk remedies can be dangero us or even fatal. In the last 4,000 years, we've come a long way toward safe and effective methods for contraception. Women don't have to drink poisonous teas as they did in the middle ages. They don't have to risk their health with painful douches as they did in Victorian Age. Men don't have to paint their penises with pitch as they did in Egypt, heat their testicles as they did in Rome, or cut openings in the base of their penises to spill semen outside of the vagina during ejaculation as they still do in Australia (Riddle). Women and men don't have to abstain from sex for fear of having more children than they can afford or of endangering a woman's health with a high-risk pregnancy. A lot less has changed in the last fifty years. In the 1950s, only one out of eight couples in the world used a safe and effective method of family planning. Today more two out of eight couples rely on modern methods of birth control to maintain the health and well-being of their families (Speroff). Margaret Sanger, an American nurse, pioneered the modern birth control movement in the United States. In 1912 she began publishing information about women’s reproductive concerns through magazine articles, pamphlets, and several books. In 1914 Sanger was charged with violation of the Comstock Law, federal legislation passed in 1873 prohibiting the mailing of obscene material including information about birth control and contraceptive devices.

Global Culture Essay

As time progresses, the world, in terms of business is rather contracting. There is growing communication, interaction and exchange between different parts of the world. Technologies that were once thought of as a far sighted notion are now being using like household commodities and communication mediums that were once considered luxuries available to few are now a necessities needed to prosper. The world is becoming more integrated by the day and countries are becoming more and more dependent on one another in terms of trade and business. This paper focus on how the culture and environment that a business operates in affects the organization. It will outline some constraints and will generally give a picture of how to cope with changing cultures as in today’s expanding work environments it is vital to understand the attitudes, values, perceptions of the regions. Also, the role of media and politics would be discussed. Discussion: It is now a well known and widespread phenomenon that the world is a ‘global village’. This means that globalization has taken its toll and the entire world is somewhat a unified society or community that needs to interact in order to get on. But what exactly is Globalization? Globalization is basically the term used to describe the integration of economic, political and . it refers to the greater freedom of movements of goods, capital and people around the world. this shrinking of the world is having a major impact on business activity especially from multi-nationals which are the business organizations that have their headquarters in one country but operating branches, factories and assembly plants in others. In recent years there have been moves to reduce the number and level of trade restrictions that limited the trade between countries. The free trade movement and the aid of information technology are reducing the differences that once existed between national markets, reducing the importance of national borders and making it easier for firms to trade with and locate in many countries. This is forcing firms, which were once protected by national governments to become internationally competitive (Stimpson, 2002). Globalization integrates people, companies and governments and effects the environment, culture and political systems as well as economic development and human physical well-being in societies all around the world. The focus here, however, is on how the culture of a society or region shapes the operations of multi-nations and globalization as a whole. Culture, most simply described, is the behaviors, beliefs, values, underlying assumptions and perceptions shared by a group of people with respect to their environment and societies. Many characteristics of human life are transmitted genetically, they are innate and are naturally present and then there are other qualities that are learned. Culture is the name for the body of learned behaviors common to a society that form as a template for shaping behavior, manners and conduct from generation to generation. Culture exists in businesses as well, it is the attitudes and behaviors that employees of an organization embrace as an affect of their working environment. Working culture of an organization has a great impact over how workers feel, behave and work. Hence, national culture similar to corporate culture is the values and attitudes shared by individuals from a specific country that shape their behavior and their beliefs about what is important. Culture has the characteristic of being learned as well as taught. Culture is something that evolves and is in a constant state of change. The basic indicators and manipulators of culture are the values, customs and beliefs that rest in the society. These factors carry on for generations and are manifested in individuals as they live according to the routine of their environment. Culture has a direct and deep association with these features as these values and customs are what combine together and form the basis of culture. Ethnocentricity is a dilemma faced by many societies when dealing with different regions and areas. Ethnocentrisms are the conviction that one has that his or her culture or ethnicity is most superior. Ethnocentricity is the belief that some people have which makes them consider other cultures with respect to their own and manifests a superiority which is indicated through their behavior and attitudes towards other cultures. It is noted that cultural ethnocentrism is becoming prominent and is one of the stronger motivators of people pulling away from other economies. Ethnocentricity has rather negative impacts on multi national companies, as it causes consumers to distrust the international brands which adversely affect the consumer purchasing behavior. Cultural openness and demographic variables are factors that affect the ethnocentrism that persists in a society. Companies can remove these barriers through promoting awareness of their brand as well as educating and informing people about internationalization of businesses. Maintaining a positive approach is a key to attracting ethnocentric societies. Also, by targeting markets considering their age, gender and their cultural background shows apathy and reduces ethnocentric behaviors. For a firm to operate internationally, it needs strategies that would help it create a market outside the home country. In order to create an awareness or better described as a competitive advantage, businesses need effective global strategies. Global strategies can take the form of reducing costs and increasing efficiency, taking risks, or creating brand identification and reputation. Whichever the strategy chosen, it is very important to understand the local cultures and environment before entering a market. Strategies can be of numerous forms but branding is considered as most efficient when it comes to entering a completely new market. Brand strategy focuses on influencing the perceptions of people in a way that they persuaded to act in a certain manner. In today’s highly competitive and expanding business markets, it is necessary to create a positive and lasting impression on the consumers through branding. When entering a new market, a company needs to analyze the culture of the region and adapt to it in a manner that it does not seem awkward or unnatural to the consumers. A global brand needs to pertain a relevant meaning and significance to people across multiple societies, the strategy needs to be diverse and devised in a fashion that blends well with the people, their experience and the society. Different societies have different mind frames, values and in simple words, a different culture as a whole. For example, animals such as a horse is recognized all over the world but it is perceived differently, in some societies it may be considered as a mode of transport, in some, a gambling opportunity while in some, it symbolizes independence. These differences must be acknowledged when formulating strategies. Cultural conventions determine how people in a society interact with each other, what their beliefs are, and what meanings do they attach to their representations. Cultures develop through experience and learning, they are not static (Baker, 2001). Strategies must be aware and on a look out of these cultural shifts that may create a booming opportunity to replace something that is losing its value. Therefore, Companies can follow their regular patterns of strategy formulation which integrates its overall objectives with its marketing and financial counterparts but when looking for a new market in a new region, the first consideration must be the analysis of the local market trends, customs, traditions and adopt these within the strategy. In general, a company must be aware of the societal beliefs and stand points of the cultural areas that it is catering to. No aspect of the product, branding or the company policies must collide with the cultures. Every culture is dissimilar to another and so are its values and characteristics. The concepts and perceptions towards the routine items such as leisure, work, family structures and religion are separate in every society or culture and may be at different priority levels. A culture that is based to moral values of responsibilities and independence may have more influence on working and exerting. While a culture that does not ingrain a sense of self-sufficiency may promote a lifestyle of leisure and relaxation. Family structures also differ, so do religious beliefs. These two factors are most important when framing a culture as they define the mode of life and the code of conduct of people that follow it. Therefore, different religions may impose different conditions and these conditions, with the passage of time, become a part of the society and culture. Communication is generally the sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding (Jones & George, 2007). Good communication is necessary for an organization to gain a competitive advantage. Good communication, within an organization, is vital for managers to learn about new technologies, implement them in their organization and train workers in how to use them. Culture plays a central role in the communication process. Perception, which is the process through which people select, organize, and interpret sensory input to give meaning and order to the world around them, affects the meaning of the message. Perceptual biases can hamper a company and its communication just like ethnocentricity. Perceptual biases pertaining in a culture can use information about the company in a way that could create inaccurate perceptions and thus have a negative effect. Communication is basic way through which a business can promote itself and its product across borders and so it is very important that this be done in the most efficient manner without causing and negative impact upon the consumers. Thorough analysis of culture is essential in order to for communication to be well understood in the way intended. For example, the details written on a product may have to be translated into the local language. Also, non-verbal messages such as images may have a different meaning from culture to culture and if not properly surveyed may end up displaying the wrong meaning and impression.

Issues of Same-Sex Marriage

6, November 2009 Issue of Same-sex Marriage As the world rapidly transitions into the twenty-first century, a new set of problems arise and the people of the world are faced with challenges that they have never encountered. The majority of world cultures are based around religion and religion comes with many stipulations that are not agreed upon by everyone. In Christian culture, the issue of homosexuality is a conflict that is currently being debated. The direct issue is whether or not people of homosexual tendencies have the right to share a union that is comparable to that of heterosexual couples.Marriage has been described as a legally binding contract, a moral commitment, a change of familial ties, and in some cases, a religious rite. That religious rite is what is being debated. Why shouldn’t two homosexuals be joined by the same kind of relationship that is accepted by everyone? These unique individuals share the same human characteristics as their heterosexual counterp arts, and they hold the same civic responsibilities. Many argue that a same-sex relationship ruins the sanctity of marriage or is morally irreprehensible, but the issue of divorce does the same exact thing.Not to mention, the main argument against homosexual relations is people believe the church has the last word on all moral issues, but after thousands of years, they hold almost no relevance in today’s issues. Pondering the idea of same-sex dealings, people need to take into consideration the fact that unions between two people does not effect outside parties personally; so it should mean next to nothing to them to see two men or two women be bonded by more than plutonic love. The Catholic Church has been active for many centuries. In the early years, the church was the ruling party of the lands in ancient Europe.However, as time progresses, the church slowly lost its power and it was merely there as a support system for its believers. Church theories are known around the w orld, but as time moves ahead, they continue to loose their value. I believe the churches messages are mere suggestions. Due to the fact that the modern countries have spent an enormous amount of time and money shaping their nations into what they think it should stand for apart from church’s principles. The church and its ideals are not nearly as valuable to the modern world.But when dealing with the issue of same sex unions, it is exactly the opposite, people go by what the church says as if the church is the actual government. It is puzzling to hear people speak of their respective churches and what it stands for, as if that church is the last word on all things of moral impact. Perhaps I am a modernist, but I believe that the government can be the only one to issue judgments upon relationships. The institution of a federal government can actually preside over different aspects of relationships, including marriage.The government has recorded over thousands of different way s married couples are given special status under federal law. It is not fair to limit same-sex couples a variety of benefits just because they are gay. Because the issue of same-sex marriage has become a prominent discussion topic, the Catholic Church decided to publish their opinion on the matter. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states, â€Å"all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions† (Griffiths, 10).The church so blatantly stating all Catholics should be opposed to homosexual unions is absurd. It offers no real reason, other than its contradiction to the bible. The bible is a book written thousands of years ago, and some might argue that it holds no real evidence of its events being true. In addition, the bible itself contains homosexual activity; in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, homosexual pursuits are very evident. One could go as far as to say that the Catholic Church is boarding hypocritical.Joseph Cardinal Ratzinge r states in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that in every moral disorder, homosexual activity prevents one's own fulfillment and happiness by acting contrary to the creative wisdom of God (CDF 18). It is unimaginable how the Catholic Church can come to a conclusion such as this, because they know nothing about homosexuality. All the church sees is the general idea of being gay , and therefore misinterprets the entire culture. With a world as diverse as this one, no one can assume they know everything about a topic that they haven’t experienced for themselves.To generalize that someone is unable to be happy is utterly bizarre because they have no real way of knowing what that person is going through. Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick explain it best in their pursuit for homosexuals’ needs to be incorporated into a wider community, for physic-security and well being just as the rest of the people in society (Curran, McCormich, 345). Homosexualsâ⠂¬â„¢ needs to be accepted into society is parallel with everyone else’s, because it gives people security and the feeling of acceptance.Most people are able to achieve acceptance through their community, but when homosexuals strive for acceptance within their community, they are shut down for their orientation. It is not right to exclude homosexuals from normal society just because they are different. Sexuality is a defining characteristic of ones life; it carves the path on how one will live the rest of their life. Because sexuality holds such an important place in people’s lives, it should not be able to hold them back in anything they want to do.Of course homosexuality is very different from what was considered the norm hundreds of years ago and therefore still somewhat a taboo topic, but homosexuality is not a bad thing. People who oppose same-sex relations are not willing to take the chance and introduce something different into their lives, and more often than n ot, it is just an uncomfortable situation that they are unwilling to face. For same-sex couples to be accepted, we, as a society, must put our judgments aside and experience a world where gay people are able to participate in daily life without being oppressed.I suspect that people would not notice a change from how life is today; the idea of same-sex relationships only affect the people who actually take part in such behavior. I honestly believe that homosexuality would not be nearly as big as a problem as it is today, without the influence of the Catholic Church. The church spews out their opinions on all issues, and provide no alternative; it is either their way or not at all. Same-sex relations should be positively acknowledged with the rights of every other couple in the world, and not ignored.Work Cited Curran, Charles E. , and Richard A. McCormick, S. J, eds. Readings in Moral Theology. 8th ed. New York: Paulist Press. 330-46. Print. Griffiths, Paul J. â€Å"Legalize Same-Se x Marraige. † Commonweal (2003): 10-14. Print. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, â€Å"Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons† (October 1, 1986), http://www. vatican. va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en. html, 18.